- Compare what you get in your previous scheme and what you’ll get with USS, including the flexibilities available when it comes to taking your savings.
- Consider the costs in both schemes. We don’t charge to transfer in to USS but there are investment management fees you should to be aware of for pension savings transferred in. Find out more in our investment guide.
- Consider the investment options available to you in both schemes – take a look at our investment guide for more information.
- The Normal Minimum Pension Age (NMPA) is increasing from 55 to 57 for some members from 6 April 2028. If you have a Protected Pension Age (PPA) from a previous pension scheme you can retain your PPA on your transferred benefits provided certain conditions are met. To qualify for a PPA you had to have been in the previous scheme on or before 3 November 2021 and have a right under that scheme to payment of benefits before age 57.
- To qualify for a PPA 55 the following conditions need to be met in relation to your previous scheme: before 4 November 2021 you had the right to take a pension or lump sum, or both, before you reached age 57; that right was unqualified, in that you didn't need anyone’s consent to take your benefits; on 11 February 2021 the scheme rules included provision to pay benefits before age 57.
- The lowest PPA that you can retain upon transfer is age 55 (unless you already have a lower PPA of 50 in USS). Your previous scheme will need to notify us of your PPA when processing your transfer. You should contact your previous provider to query if you have a PPA with them. Please note if you have a PPA for benefits transferred into USS this doesn’t extend to any other benefits in USS. For example, if you do not have a PPA in USS from 6 April 2028 you will only be able to take your USS benefits from age 57, but if you have transferred in benefits with a PPA you could access these benefits earlier. This could mean you have different minimum pension ages for different benefits.
Transfer your pension from somewhere else
If you have pension savings elsewhere that you haven’t started taking and that scheme is registered with HMRC, you could transfer these to the Investment Builder (the defined contribution part of USS).
Who can transfer in?
Members who are still paying in to USS can request to transfer in.
Is transferring right for you?
You should consider what type of scheme you’ll be transferring from and whether transferring in to USS is in your best interests – we’ve included a few things to think about below.
If you aren’t sure what type of scheme you’re transferring from, visit our glossary for information on defined benefit and defined contribution schemes.
Getting financial advice
You may want to take financial advice if you’re not sure what’s right for you. You can find information on how to access an independent financial adviser and a range of other resources on the guidance and financial advice page.
If you’re transferring safeguarded benefits (like defined benefits) from another scheme to the Investment Builder (check with your current scheme if you’re unsure), and all those benefits are valued at more than £30,000, the law requires you to get appropriate independent advice.
Please note: Your independent financial adviser must be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and have the correct permission to provide advice on pension transfers. To check if your independent financial adviser is authorised, visit the Financial Services Register.
What you need to do
If you decide to transfer, log in to My USS and complete the Transfer in request form to start the process.
Take a look at our transfer in timeline for more on what happens when, and what you need to do.
How long the process takes
How long it takes depends on how quickly your other scheme processes the request. As a rough guide, once you’ve sent your forms to us and we have the other forms from your previous scheme, it can take up to eight weeks or more before the money is processed and invested.
For more information take a look at our transfer in timeline.
Manage your savings in My USS
You can manage your Investment Builder savings and make investment choices in My USS. Log in to My USS to make your investment choices so we know where to invest your savings once your transfer’s complete.
Remember to set your Target Retirement Age (TRA) in My USS too. This is the age you plan to start taking your Investment Builder savings. It doesn’t have to be the same age that you start taking your Retirement Income Builder benefits. It’s important as it tells us when to start moving your investments if we’re managing them for you.
Find out more about your investment options, including a short video on Your Investment Choices, on our Investment Builder page.
For important information on this guidance please see our key names and important information page.
Got a question?
Document download
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Transfer in request form docx (53kb)
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Transfer in request form pdf (124kb)